Events during your visit to Germany

Network meeting

A number of regional network meetings are held each year for research fellows who have newly arrived in Germany. These meetings, which are unfortunately not open to accompanying family members, take place in university towns in Germany. Their purpose is to

• familiarise research fellows with the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the various forms of sponsorship it offers;
• inform fellows about university institutes and the system of higher education in Germany, particularly in comparison with foreign higher education systems;
• create networks amongst the research fellows themselves and with Alexander von Humboldt Foundation staff;
• provide insights into conditions in Germany and promote long-term scientific contacts in discussions within groups organised according to country and discipline.

Annual meeting

The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation’s annual meeting takes place in Berlin in the summer (June/July). All Humboldtians, regardless of discipline or country of origin, who are sponsored in Germany are invited to attend this meeting with their families once during their stay.

The meeting offers an opportunity to exchange views with representatives of foreign missions and to talk with members of the Board of Trustees, the Selection Committees, and the staff of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.

The highlight of the annual meeting is a reception given by the President of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Study tour

In the second half of August every year, there is an approximately two-week study tour for research fellows. This tour takes them to areas of Germany that are further away from their host location. Designed to offer a comprehensive insight into the prevailing cultural, economic, political and social conditions in Germany, the itinerary covers cultural institutions, industrial corporations and research institutions, and also includes cultural events. The study tour is intended to enable research fellows to increase their knowledge of Germany beyond the experience they gain in their German host towns. During the tour, each group is invited to attend a reception at the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.

The groups (around 30 participants per group) are composed of research fellows working in neighbouring host towns. For organisational reasons, the study tour may not be interrupted, nor is participation possible for less than the full period of the tour.

Research fellows’ partners are also invited to take part in this tour. As the format involves a lot of travel and an extensive itinerary, the tour is not suitable for children.

• Events calendar